At the Technical Expert Meeting on Land Use,
the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said (129 kB)
that land use is responsible for just under a quarter of human induced greenhouse gas emissions. This
is mainly the result of deforestation and agricultural emissions from livestock, soil and nutrient
management. Agriculture, forestry and other forms of land use are responsible for a large
share of emissions in many developing countries.

Several developing country governments made presentations at the Technical Expert Meeting which
demonstrate the considerable efforts they are undertaking. China (542 kB)
's massive reforestation efforts aim to achieve 40 million hectares increase in forest area by
end of 2020 over 2005 levels. 60% of this was already achieved by 2013. China also intends to
integrate forest carbon into its national pilot emissions trading scheme. Brazil pointed out that
from 2004 to 2013, it has reduced deforestation rates in the Amazon by 79% .

Brazil also said that all developing countries can do significantly more to curb emissions from
deforestation with international support, notably with the help of REDD+. REDD+ stands for “Reducing Emissions
from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries” . It creates a financial
value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce
emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. At the UN
Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Brazil
formally submitted (139 kB) key information and data on the status of its greenhouse gas emission
reductions in the forest sector, paving the way for other countries to follow.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations pointed out
(1329 kB) that food production is projected to increase 60-70% by 2050. It also said the good news is
that there are options which can increase productivity, help reduce emissions and strengthen
resilience benefits, particularly in agriculture. Many of these are sustainable land management
practices. The
World Bank (942 kB) gave an overview of the state of financing, technology transfer and
capacity-building, and the
Global Environment Facility (451 kB) outlined the areas it is working in to help fund sustainable
agriculture.

Support for climate action with the help of land use is also available tom the new Climate Technology
Centre and Network (CTCN). The CTCN is now
fully operational and is currently collaborating with 6 countries, also covering agriculture and
forestry. For example, the CTCN has received a request from Honduras to help install technology and
enhance local capacity for monitoring and protection of mangrove forest in coastal zones.